§ 61.345 - Standards: Containers.

§ 61.345 Standards: Containers.

(a) The owner or operator shall meet the following standards for each container in which waste is placed in accordance with § 61.342(c)(1)(ii) of this subpart:

(1) The owner or operator shall install, operate, and maintain a cover on each container used to handle, transfer, or store waste in accordance with the following requirements:

(i) The cover and all openings (e.g., bungs, hatches, and sampling ports) shall be designed to operate with no detectable emissions as indicated by an instrument reading of less than 500 ppmv above background, initially and thereafter at least once per year by the methods specified in § 61.355(h) of this subpart.

(ii) Except as provided in paragraph (a)(4) of this section, each opening shall be maintained in a closed, sealed position (e.g., covered by a lid that is gasketed and latched) at all times that waste is in the container except when it is necessary to use the opening for waste loading, removal, inspection, or sampling.

(2) When a waste is transferred into a container by pumping, the owner or operator shall perform the transfer using a submerged fill pipe. The submerged fill pipe outlet shall extend to within two fill pipe diameters of the bottom of the container while the container is being loaded. During loading of the waste, the cover shall remain in place and all openings shall be maintained in a closed, sealed position except for those openings required for the submerged fill pipe, those openings required for venting of the container to prevent physical damage or permanent deformation of the container or cover, and any openings complying with paragraph (a)(4) of this section.

(3) Treatment of a waste in a container, including aeration, thermal or other treatment, must be performed by the owner or operator in a manner such that while the waste is being treated the container meets the standards specified in paragraphs (a)(3)(i) through (iii) of this section, except for covers and closed-vent systems that meet the requirements in paragraph (a)(4) of this section.

(i) The owner or operator must either:

(A) Vent the container inside a total enclosure which is exhausted through a closed-vent system to a control device in accordance with the requirements of paragraphs (a)(3)(ii)(A) and (B) of this section; or

(B) Vent the covered or closed container directly through a closed-vent system to a control device in accordance with the requirements of paragraphs (a)(3)(ii)(B) and (C) of this section.

(ii) The owner or operator must meet the following requirements, as applicable to the type of air emission control equipment selected by the owner or operator:

(A) The total enclosure must be designed and operated in accordance with the criteria for a permanent total enclosure as specified in section 5 of the “Procedure T - Criteria for and Verification of a Permanent or Temporary Total Enclosure” in 40 CFR 52.741, appendix B. The enclosure may have permanent or temporary openings to allow worker access; passage of containers through the enclosure by conveyor or other mechanical means; entry of permanent mechanical or electrical equipment; or direct airflow into the enclosure. The owner or operator must perform the verification procedure for the enclosure as specified in section 5.0 of “Procedure T - Criteria for and Verification of a Permanent or Temporary Total Enclosure” initially when the enclosure is first installed and, thereafter, annually. A facility that has conducted an initial compliance demonstration and that performs annual compliance demonstrations in accordance with the Container Level 3 control requirements in 40 CFR 264.1086(e)(2)(i) or 40 CFR 265.1086(e)(2)(i) is not required to make repeat demonstrations of initial and continuous compliance for the purposes of this subpart.

(B) The closed-vent system and control device must be designed and operated in accordance with the requirements of § 61.349.

(C) For a container cover, the cover and all openings (e.g., doors, hatches) must be designed to operate with no detectable emissions as indicated by an instrument reading of less than 500 ppmv above background, initially and thereafter at least once per year by the methods specified in § 61.355(h).

(iii) Safety devices, as defined in this subpart, may be installed and operated as necessary on any container, enclosure, closed-vent system, or control device used to comply with the requirements of paragraph (a)(3)(i) of this section.

(4) If the cover and closed-vent system operate such that the container is maintained at a pressure less than atmospheric pressure, the owner or operator may operate the system with an opening that is not sealed and kept closed at all times if the following conditions are met:

(i) The purpose of the opening is to provide dilution air to reduce the explosion hazard;

(ii) The opening is designed to operate with no detectable emissions as indicated by an instrument reading of less than 500 ppmv above background, as determined initially and thereafter at least once per year by methods specified in § 61.355(h); and

(iii) The pressure is monitored continuously to ensure that the pressure in the container remains below atmospheric pressure.

(b) Each cover and all openings shall be visually inspected initially and quarterly thereafter to ensure that they are closed and gasketed properly.

(c) Except as provided in § 61.350 of this subpart, when a broken seal or gasket or other problem is identified, first efforts at repair shall be made as soon as practicable, but not later than 15 calendar days after identification.

[55 FR 8346, Mar. 7, 1990, as amended at 58 FR 3097, Jan. 7, 1993; 67 FR 68532, Nov. 12, 2002; 68 FR 67936, Dec. 4, 2003]